Polymer Crystallization in the Presence of Carbon Nanofillers

Carbonaceous nanofillers, i.e., fullerene, carbon nanofiber, carbon nanotube, and graphene have emerged as a new class of functional nanomaterials world-wide due to their exceptional electrical, thermal, optical, and mechanical properties. One of the most promising applications of LDCNs is in polymer nanocomposites; these materials endow the polymer matrix with significant physical reinforcement and/or multi-functional capabilities. The relations between properties, structure and morphology of polymers in the nanocomposites offer an effective pathway to obtain novel and desired properties through structural manipulation, wherein the interfacial crystallization and the crystalline structure with the matrix are critical factors. By now, extensive studies have reported that LDCNs are highly effective nucleating agents that can significantly accelerate their crystallization kinetics and/or induce unique crystalline morphologies in nanocomposites. In this paper, a general overview of current sources for polymer induced crystallization in the presence of two-dimensional LDCN in isotactic polypropylene (ipp) and polyethylene is provided by a detail account of the LDCN two-dimensional and derivative, the crystallization kinetics LDCNs with/without flow fields, crystalline modification and interpolar crystalline morphology, the origin of polymer crystal presence in LDCNs on the basis of molecular simulations and experimental practices.